February 8, 2018

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has recognized Sovah Health for its demonstrated expertise and commitment in treating patients with heart failure. Both Sovah Health – Danville (“Danville”) and Sovah Health – Martinsville (“Martinsville”) were awarded Heart Failure Accreditation in December based on rigorous onsite reviews of the staff’s ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients with heart failure through pre-hospital care, early stabilization, acute care, transitional care, clinical quality measures and more.

Heart failure is a condition where the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs for blood and oxygen.

Hospitals that employ an evidence-based, protocol-driven and systematic approach to managing heart failure have been able to reduce time to treatment, and are able to identify and predict high-risk patients while also reducing length-of-stay and hospital readmissions.

“ACC Accreditation Services is proud to bestow Heart Failure Accreditation on Sovah Health,” said Abraham Joseph, vice president of ACC Accreditation Services. “We commend Danville and Martinsville for its demonstrated leadership and commitment to providing the region with excellent care of heart failure patients.”

Hospitals receiving Heart Failure Accreditation from the ACC must take part in a multi-faceted clinical process that involves: completing a gap analysis; examining variances of care, developing an action plan; a rigorous onsite review; and monitoring for sustained success. Improved methods and strategies of caring for patients include streamlining processes, implementing of guidelines and standards, and adopting best practices in the precise care of heart failure patients. Facilities that achieve accreditation meet or exceed an array of stringent criteria and have organized a team of doctors, nurses, clinicians, and other administrative staff that earnestly support the efforts leading to better patient education, improved patient outcomes, and more effective and efficient disease control.

“I am proud to recognize our cardiovascular teams in Danville and Martinsville for their dedicated focus to our mission of Making our Communities Healthier. Achieving this accreditation is another example of that commitment to our mission. Also a special thanks for the extra hours, teamwork and collaboration with the ACC Accreditation Services team to gain this outstanding recognition,” said Alan Larson, Market President of Sovah Health. “Heart failure accreditation is another step in our continuing efforts to optimize the care and outcomes of our patients."

The ACC and American Heart Association are collaborating to offer U.S. hospitals like Sovah Health access to a comprehensive suite of co-branded cardiac accreditation services designed to optimize patient outcomes and improve hospital financial performance. These services are focused on all aspects of cardiac care, including heart failure.

About the American College of Cardiology

The American College of Cardiology is the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team. The mission of the College and its more than 52,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College operates national registries to measure and improve care, offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions, provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications.

For more information about ACC Accreditation Services, visit accreditation.acc.org, or call toll-free 1-877-271-4176.